Proposals for Peace between Palestinians and Israelis

God’s Intent?

Jewish people, Palestinians
Not-so distant family, cousins

Abraham and Sarah
Abraham and Hagar
Isaac and Ishmael

Through dispersions
History separated
Seen as the “other”

As the enemy
Whose God has bestowed the same land
Onto which we drop the very blood we share

Was God’s intent, rather, for us to thrive
To live and prosper united
Together or side by side as neighbors

And yes, as Family?

Because the Jewish people have never been truly safe in any nation for the long-term, I accept and support the need for a Jewish homeland. I would have much preferred to have seen the creation of a Jewish state following World War II carved out from lands in eastern Germany through western Poland. However, that boat has since sailed on an ocean of fallen tears.

The fact is that both Palestinians and Jews are indigenous to what we call “The Middle East,” and Jews have existed there when the area was known as “the land of Canaan.” Palestinians and Jews are distant cousins. Yes, it is also true that most Jews who reside in what today is called “Israel” arrived during the late 19^th-20^th centuries.

In demanding that Jews evacuate the area, or demand that Palestinians simply assimilate into other regional Arabic nations is as unrealistic as it would be to demand that everyone without at least 50% indigenous heritage abandon “the Americas” and return to the land of their ancestral heritage(s).

The history of the Middle East, and especially between Palestinians and Jews, abounds with blame, recrimination, and retaliation, and an escalating perpetual cycle of mistrust and violence. And there is indeed plenty of justifiable blame to go around on multiple levels and sides.

But as we blame and blame and blame and then we expect different results, we are certainly left with insanity resulting in increasing tensions, violence, death, and the possibility of an ever-widening breakout of war and destruction.

Can we at least suspend blame for a while? By suspending blame, we are not forgetting the histories, but rather, we are engaging in an emotional ceasefire for a time.

If one views the conflict as a binary with either the Palestinians or the Israelis as either the victims only or the oppressors only, then one does not understand the histories or the issues. We must, instead, think in nuanced and non-binary ways.

The current government must step down and a more centrist government elected. It must end the attacks on Gaza and the West Bank, reverse its annexation of large portions of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, end the occupation and apartheid treatment of Palestinians, and engage in good faith negotiations for equitable solutions to live as neighbors in peace and security.

• We can be against Islamophobia and against antisemitism simultaneously.
• We can be concerned about the innocent victims of attack in Israel and about the innocent victims of attack in Gaza and the West Bank.
• We can demand the return of the Israeli hostages and prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza and the return of Palestinian hostages and prisoners held by the Israeli government.
• We can abhor and condemn the oppressive policies of Israel, past and present, and we can abhor and condemn the oppressive policies of Palestinians, past and present: the fear, intimidation, harassment, torture, and murder on all sides.
• We can support the establishment of a Two-State Solution, the state of Israel and the state of Palestine without being accused of supporting colonialism.
• We can hold different viewpoints and realities simultaneously.

In that sense, then, these are my suggestions for moving forward:

• Palestinians and Israelis must cease all overt and covert hostilities. Hostages and prisoners on each side must be released.
• If the parties cannot come up with a democratic One-State solution where all residents are treated equally and equitably under the law, Israel must end the occupation of all Palestinian lands confiscated since the 1967 War.
• Israel should either return the territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 War or negotiate a “land swap” agreement arrived at by the Israeli government and the Palestinian leadership in the context of non-partisan international negotiators.
• Israel must close and return all so-called “settlements” on the occupied territories, unless and until compromise solutions to this issue are negotiated.
• Israel must grant full and complete citizenship rights to all persons living as permanent residents in Israel regardless of religious, ethnic, or political backgrounds and affiliations.
• Palestinian and the leadership of Muslim countries must recognize Israel’s right to exist.
• All Israeli government buildings and proceedings must move from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv or another location of choice within the negotiated borders of Israel.
• Jerusalem should be constructed as an international city and internationally controlled and defended with privately-owned properties and free and open access and travel.
• Establish two states, Israel and Palestine (or any other name of the Palestinian’s choice).
• Each country, Israel and Palestine, can and should join in a NATO-type alliance with other countries with the equivalent of Article 5 in the NATO charter stating that if either of these countries is attacked by the other or by another country, member nations from their respective alliances will join them in defensive measures. These alliances should be composed of Western and Middle-Eastern/Eastern nations to better ensure against chances of proxy wars between East and West.
• Nations throughout the world must officially recognize Israel and Palestine and set up official embassies staffed by ambassadors and support personnel.
• Palestine must be admitted to the United Nations as a bone fide country with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities this entails.
• Allied countries need to continue current or increased rates of economic aid to the reconstituted Israel and Palestine for an agreed-upon number of years (minimum 15).
• All nations need to ensure the normalization of relations with Israel and Palestine, including direct flights from their nations to both Israel and Palestine.
• Strong anti-discrimination policies and enforcement procedures must be provided uniformly and consistently to protect residents and visitors of these nations of their civil and human rights.
• Student, educator, business, arts, agriculture, science, technology, and other exchange programs between the two nations should be instituted to provide a means to perpetuate understanding and cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis.

I welcome suggestions and additional items to this list. Let the healing begin.